Spirited Home
by Lecta
Summary: Chihiro finds herself back on the other side of the river. And her baby brother decides to follow, but he dissappears when his sister tries to make him go home. Her old friends have adapted to life without her. Can she wiggle her way back into their lives
1. Back To The Bath House

Disclaimer: I don't own nobody 'cept the little additions to the cast I make. No sue, please. And....uh...no flaming. Or else. Yeah...*Edges away*

_Six years past. It was six years from the day she'd become part of the world across the river. Six long years since she'd been spirited away. The young girl Chihiro, had crashed in and out of the spirit world. She'd made an impact on it, and yet when she left, the world went on as if she'd never disturbed it. For two years after she'd left, after she'd forgotten, she visited the strange tunnel often, drawn to sitting near and peering into for hours on end. She would go almost every day to visit. After that, her visits became less frequent, dwindling to once a week, twice a month, once a month, a few times in the year. Until she stopped coming. She stopped going to see the place that mystified her, the place that haunted her dreams with it's forgotten secrets. The place where she was spirited away. _(A/n: She got spirited away... go figure...)

~~

She was asleep. Her white tank-top spotted with granite in a couple of places. Her blue jeans a streak of black ink on one thigh, where Chihiro had probably wiped her hands without thinking. Her long brown hair was covering her face. Chihiro was one of those girls who'd been very plain and unremarkable as a child. But as she grew up, she developed into a very attractive young woman. Though she doubted it was really anything remarkable.

"Hey, Chihiro...CHIHIRO!" The black-haired girl called to the lifeless girl in the desk, "CHIHIRO! WAKE UP!"

She came to full alertness, "What? Where?! What'd I do this time??" She frantically looked around, her brown hair flying about wildly

"Calm down. You just drifted off." Her green eyes showed the laughter her mouth would not permit, "Class is over. We're gonna miss lunch!"

"Oh, okay. I'm coming...just let me get my stuff together." The dark-eyed girl gather her books and tucked them into her backpack, taking extra care not to mess up her art notebook, "Where's Ms. Kelsey at?"

"She left. Said she had some business to attend to that didn't concern any of us." Merina replied blandly, "Hey, you're forgetting something."

Chihiro turned. She'd left behind the assignment they'd sketched during class. She took it in her hands, studying it. It was the same boy as before. He was smiling lightly at her, his eyes reflecting loving friendship, and his hand was held out to her, warm and welcoming. She'd gotten only halfway through coloring it before she'd slipped away into a dreamland. His black hair and blue-green eyes were rather strange alone on the page.

"Didn't you draw this weirdo last time," her friend question as they left the classroom to join the flow of students

"He's not a weirdo." Chihiro replied defensively, "I don't know why I draw him. I don't think about it when it happens. It just...appears I guess."

"Whatever. Hey, Chihiro, look!! Look, there he is!!!" Merina suddenly said, prodding the air in front of her

"Who? Where?!" She said, looking frantic for the second time in ten minutes. Her eyes fell on the local heartthrob, a six foot black-haired blue-eyed beauty who had the most innocent personality in the history of humanity, "Oh, it's just him. I told you not to freak out every time HE walks by. Maybe if it were Michael Jacks-"

"How can I _not_ freak out?? He's like a god... There's a rumor going around that he's single now, and he's looking for someone who fits your description." She said, winking and jabbing Chihiro with her elbow

"Oh shut up, he's not my kind of guy. Who could go for someone so....so... DIM?" She said, looking pointedly at the stupid grin the boy was giving a giggling ninth grader

"Whatever you say, Chihiro. It's your call." She said, "So, are you coming tonight? Ms. Kelsey said there'd be a lot of college people there. Maybe a couple will come see our department."

"Maybe..." She said, holding the door open to the pavilion, "Mom might need me to watch Ryu tonight. She and dad were talking about going out to eat."

"Aw...man. You always get stuck babysitting the runt. He's, what? Two years old now? He can baby-sit himself! When I was two I already knew how to cook for myself."

"When you were two your parents abandoned you for extended periods of time and you learned how to make spaghetti o's." Chihiro stated as they neared an empty table, "Besides it's no big deal. I like spending time with Ryu. He's not bratty or anything and he knows how to use the toilet."

"Don't all two-year-olds know how to use the toilet?" Merina looked a little surprised to hear that they didn't, "Oh...whoa. The things I would have never known if I hadn't met you."

"When you have a baby you'll know. And if your boyfriend has anything to say about, that'll be all to soon."

Merina blushed and scowled, "That pervert is not my boyfriend. He's just an irritating, deluded fool who thinks he has a chance with me. "

"Had you heard how cocky that sounded you would've slapped yourself," Chihiro smiled, "Besides, he's not all that bad. He's handsome. And he makes you laugh. And he helps you study anytime you ask him to."

"Whatever." Ah, the classic death of conversation, "Whatever."

Chihiro dragged a hand through her long brown hair and stretched. As she was yawning the wind picked up and she frantically tried to grab all the papers she'd had out before they flew off. The wind blew harder. Her papers safely tucked away she looked around. Nobody else was bothered by the fierce wind. It only seemed a breeze to them. The gust pulled harder on Chihiro. _That familiar feeling...that the wind is trying to blow you away..._

She leaped up, grabbing her back as she went, and bolted towards the street. She could hear Merina yelling from behind her. _Pulling me away..._ She ran as fast as her feet could carry her. She was one block from home. She stopped there long enough to throw her bag in the door and leave again. _Down the slope..._ She flew across the grass, trying not to loose control on the steep sloping. _Faster..._

"Shut up!" She yelled at the eerie voice of the wind, "This isn't happening. It'll be the same as ever." She told herself

She skidded to a halt on the dirt road. There to her right were the little shrines. The little houses she'd pointed out so many years ago. She took off running again. She watched the trees to her right, watching the little statue go by. She ran faster. She ran until she came to it. To the entrance. To the tunnel she'd dreamed about for so long. She walked towards it, standing just one inch from the opening. The wind blew gently, urging her in. She took a step forward. Nothing happened. She began walking, her brown sandals making soft padding noises as she went.

She walked through the tunnel, through the familiarly strange room, and out into the meadow of her dreams. The meadow she'd dreamt had lead her to the river between the worlds. She began walking. _Do I hear a train? _She ignored the sound. She could hear the wind, almost as if it were singing. _Singing of your return..._

She reached the bed of rocks. Her whole body shook. She didn't smell anything. No hint of the food that had gotten her into trouble last time. She crossed the rock bed, and went up the steps. The frog at the top of the stairs had seemed strange in her dreams. Now it's small hunched figured seemed eerie and foreboding. Like she would find something waiting for her she never wanted to find. She reached the top of the steps. She stood still, looking out around her. _the same as I remember...._ She pulled her flying hair into a loose ponytail.

She took another step, and began walking again. Down the street of restaurants. She recognized one of them. The one her parents had eaten at the last time around. She walked to the end of the street. She looked left, then right. And she took the same turn she'd taken so long ago in her dreams. _Why am I here... Why am I doing this? It's so stupid..._ She was standing in front of the large red lamp. The lamp she'd seen when she was ten years old. She slowly turned her head, slowly shifted her gaze to the right. And there it was. There was the bath house. There was Yubaba's home. She ran to the bridge and looked over the edge.

As if on cue, the train went by. Pulling out of it's tunnel and rumbling along across the tracks. She stopped, gazing blindly at the water. She thought about her little brother. She had to leave. _Any excuse to go home..._ But as she turned to her left, she was shocked out of her mind. There was her little brother, twigs in his brown hair and happiness shining in his blue eyes.

"Sissy!" He shouted gleefully, waddling towards her, "Yay! I came too, see?" He smiled

"You...followed me here. How, Ryu?" She said, fear ebbing back into her heart and mind, "Why? Why did you follow me to this place..."

She picked him up in her arms, turning to look at the bath house. _All I have to do is run home... Run home now and get across the river... Get across and never look back._ Yeah right. Fate had other plans.

~~

"Haku! It's so nice to see you again. I'm glad you came to visit me. It's been such a long time. How is life going in the city?" The old woman said as she let the tall boy into her home. Zeniba smiled at her visitor.

His hair was shorter than she remembered, only about an inch long. He wore black pants and a t-shirt the same color as his hair. His face was as warm and friendly as it had been the last time she'd seen him, but she could see in his eyes he wasn't feeling as happy as he acted.

He smiled, "It's been alright. Lin found a really nice place. It's perfect. Big enough for three people, but cheap enough for one. We've been there about two years now. She told me to send her regards to you." He laughed

"That's wonderful dear. You should've visited me sooner though. You make yourself comfortable. I'll make us some tea." The old white-haired sorceress watched him carefully as she left

"How are you, no face?" She heard the boy asking the spirit that lived with the old woman, "Have the times treated you both well?"

She brought tea out for the young man, smiling. He returned the smile, but she saw the hidden sadness in his eyes. The regret he lived with and the regret of regretting. 

"Don't smile if you don't mean it. It only makes things worse." She said, watching the grin drop from his mouth and his eyes dart downward, "You still miss her after all this time."

He looked away. He'd always avoided that particular conversation. He didn't want to talk about it. Six years ago he'd met a girl. A girl that had saved his life. A girl that he'd never wanted to let go of for the rest of his life. And he'd sent her home, knowing she wouldn't remember anything that'd happened here. Knowing she'd never come back and he could never go and get her. He remembered the words they'd spoken...

~ Flashback~

"Can we meet again?" Uncertainty shimmered in her dark eyes

"I'm sure." He reassured himself more than her, his heart aching

"Promise?" She held hope in her heart, and she trusted he would not lie to her. Not about this

"Promise." And with that he let her go, her smaller hand slipping out of his. As she was leaving, following her restored parents, he saw her stop, her head turning to look. _No..._But she didn't. She turned back and followed her mother and father. And she left. She forgot.

And he stood there, heart broken, and let a small tear fall down his cheek. But there was nothing else to do. Nothing else he could do. He'd made the decision and everything would work out. Yeah. Right.

~End Flashback~

The old woman patted his shoulder kindly and set his cup in front of him. No Face put a comforting hand on his shoulder as well. All three of them had a tender spot in their hearts where the girl had once been. She appeared, turned everything upside down, and then disappeared. He smiled at them both and brought up something else, anything else.

~~

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Kk. Lemme know if you like it... I have chapter two ready to post and I'm working on chapter three. All I'm asking for is one review on another of my stories. Pick one any one and lemme know what you think, Okies? ^.^;; Huggles and snuggles for the readers!


	2. Welcome Home Chihiro

^.^ Thanks for the reviews. Eheh. I'm working on chapter three, but it's going kinda slow cause I got so many other things I'm trying to work on. I'll post it ASAP though, K?

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"The baby is due any day now. Lin's really getting antsy about it. She bites my head off all the time. And she's eating the most disgusting things. She made a vegetable salad the other day, and then poured chocolate all over it. Then she decided it needed something else and added cheese and ketchup. It's horrible."

Zeniba laughed, "Well Lin is a unique girl to begin with. So naturally, when she's pregnant she'll be ten times that. Oh, well. Has she decided on name for the child yet?"

"Yeah... She decided to name her Sen. After Chihiro. I said it would be odd calling someone Sen after the real Sen had left. She threw a book at my head." He chuckled, sipping his tea

Zeniba sat down across from him, smiling. She took a sip of her own tea and smiled wider when No Face mimicked her movements. There was along, semi-comfortable silence. Kohaku looked into his tea, seeing his own reflection in the dark liquid. It was all he could do after Chihiro left to drag himself out of bed in the mornings. Yubaba had destroyed his and Lin's contracts with little fuss thanks to her son. He's been a big help, and occasionally Haku would see him at Zeniba's but it wasn't often. All his friends had drifted away, except for Lin. She'd stuck with him. Kicked him once or twice to cheer him up, and taught him how to cook for himself. And now she was expecting her first child and neither of them could hold their anticipation very well.

Everyone had grown up and moved on. Sen was a fond memory. Life couldn't revolve around the past. And Chihiro had moved on too, he assumed. Then he cursed himself mentally for letting her invade his thoughts again. (And then Sabi got tired of typing and decided to go to bed a dream about her boyfriend and leave the story for another day. G'night.) (Okay I'm awake again. ^.^;;) He looked at Zeniba, and then to No Face. They had moved on. Why couldn't he? Why, even when his thoughts should be more focused on Lin and the new baby, could he not forget about that simple human girl. She hadn't even stayed very long. He wanted to slap himself. He's was practically obsessing over it!

He didn't notice Zeniba was talking to him, he looked up, his face surprised, "Huh? What?"

She grumbled, "Get your head out of the clouds boy, I was telling you about the treasure. I found the most wonderful little treasure today. Oh, you'll just die when you see... Hold on. I'll go check on it..."

She stood and walked out of the room, disappearing into the dark hallway. Once out of Haku's line of sight she grinned to herself. She hadn't thought it would be a good idea to show him just yet, but she couldn't help herself. He looked so sad. She knew he'd smile when he saw; he'd have to. She peeped into the dark room. Nothing moved. The pale light from the moon and stars above poured into the room from the window above the bed. She looked around the room a moment. There was a thick soft carpet on the ceramic tiled floor. A chest sat at the end of the end of the bed with a silver tray on it, laden with a glass of water and a plate of cookies. They were untouched and there was still a small lump beneath the over-stuffed blanket on the bed.

~~

She couldn't run with Ryu squirming in her arms but she was walking as fast as she possibly could. The toddler had somehow managed to end up upside down, looking out on the world clapping and kicking his feet with glee. It was all Chihiro could do to keep from dropping him or breaking her nose. She grunted and hauled him up and around so she could look him in the eyes. 

"Ryu!" She hissed, "Please, I need you to CALM DOWN. How on earth do you expect us to get out of here with you flailing like that?!?!"

"I wan stay! You can't may me weave!" He glared at her, his cheeks puffing in a pout, "I'm staying hewre! You jus don wan no fun!"  
He jumped and scrambled out of her arms. She had to set him down just so she didn't drop him on his head. He took off the instant she let go of him. She stood for a moment looking at the spot where he'd stood.

"RYU!! No! Come back, you don't know what's out there!" She tore after him, her legs and lungs protesting violently

She followed him to the clock tower in front of the bath house, but she saw no trace of him. She felt her eyes burn with tears. She looked around the clock, up the tree, she even looked over the rails of the bridge. She felt a tear run down her face as the train whizzed by. She turned, looking helplessly at the streets. The wind blew hard from behind her, her hair whipping into her face. She turned. Her eyes widened. To her right the sun was on the horizon. It was setting. She caught the lights turning on out of the corner of her eye.

"Where do I go... I have to go somewhere. But Ryu..." She verbally debated her next move, "I don't have a choice... Ryu, I promise I'll come back for you."

She turned and hauled herself up on the side of the bridge. She jumped. She dove into the water, arcing and flying along like a torpedo. Her head spun, but she forced her arms and legs to work anyway, desperate to get to the tracks. She had to. Once there she knew there was somewhere she could go. Someone who would surely help her out of this wretched hell.

She climbed out of the water and tore off down the tracks. The farther she got the more she thought about how hopeless and stupid this was. What if this was a different place? Or she was going the wrong way? Or maybe she would never get there... So many things ran through her mind. But she kept running.

She ran a mile. Then she walked a mile. Then she ran again, then walked again, then ran again. She did this all through the night, diving off the tracks when the train rushed past. Then on into the morning she went, glancing at the sky. Half expecting a dragon to go flying above her. She didn't want to see it though. She didn't want to see any of this. Two or three times she found herself crying as she ran. Hundreds of times she wondered where Ryu was. She screamed at herself, yelling over and over at herself for being such a coward and running without him. But she didn't stop moving. She ran, her stomach aching from hunger and her muscles sore. Her eyes dry and her vision blurred.

At last she came to the place. She finally saw it. She finally came to swamp bottom. The little light hopping out to greet her. She saw her. She saw her one and only hope to get her brother back. "Granny..." And she collapsed.

~~

She gently laid a hand across the blankets. No movement other than the light breathing. She smiled and gently shook. Still no response. She sighed and shook a little harder, calling the girls name. She heard a muffled groan from beneath the thick quilts.

"Chihiro, dear, I know you're tired, but you must wake up. I'm sure you'll be pleased if you do. I have a little surprise for you. Come on now, that's a good girl. Up you get." She smiled as the girl finally sat up and looked at her

"Granny...? What time is it? It's dark out..." She said dully, looking out the window

"Yes, it's only been a few hours, dear. But I had to wake you up. You'll be thrilled when you see. I've got someone you will want to see."

Her heart leapt. _Ryu? _The old woman left the room, a smile planted on her face. She heard voices in the kitchen. Her eyes strained to see through the wall and into the next room. She heard the woman returning, a second set of footsteps with her. Those weren't Ryu's steps... Whose then? She Planted her feet on the floor and stared as the woman, now holding a lamp, approached. She didn't realize she was leaning forward until the woman walked in and she nearly fell over. She stared at the floor for a long while, not daring to look up. She felt two sets of eyes on her. Slowly...ever so slowly... She moved her gaze upward to stare into the aqua eyes of the second person.

Chihiro was the one to break the heavy silence, "Do...I know you...from somewhere...? You look....so familiar..."

He stared at her, his mouth open in shock, then he turned to the old woman, "Is this a joke?! Who... How... Why... When... What's going on?!?!?!"

The old woman smiled, "Chihiro, surely you remember Haku? Well, you will if you don't already. Kohaku...this is Chihiro. She stumbled upon my island just a few hours before you did, my boy. My, my, my. Just look how you've grown, little one. It's been so long! Six whole years, right? Tsk. Too long if you ask me. Oh, well. We'll have time to catch up tomorrow. As for now, you'll have to settle back into your memories. Haku, dear, you will stay won't you?"

"I...uh... But Lin-" He stuttered, never taking his eyes off Chihiro..._God, how she's changed... But is she still the same on the inside...?_

"Will be fine by herself for a little while. Honestly, you're always worrying about her and she picks on you like she doesn't care a bit. A strange woman..."

Chihiro poked in, "Lin? Is she...here?" She squirmed under that stares of both people, "I mean... I remember... In that dream. Lin was the one who looked out for me in the bath house...Right?" She mumbled foolishly

The old woman grinned, "Oh! That's wonderful! See, her memory's returning already, Kohaku. Lin moved out of the bath house some time ago. She and Haku live in the city now. She'll be so happy you remembered her. She'll make a point of reminding our boy here you remembered her too. Ehehehehe." The old woman cackled as she hobbled over to sit by Chihiro

"Granny..." Chihiro whispered nervously, "Is this for real?"

"It is indeed child..." She spent a long moment looking from Chihiro to Haku and back again, "Do you remember Kohaku?"

Chihiro looked at the boy, "His face is familiar..." 

"Is that all?"

"Well... He doesn't look like the boy I remember. Haku's hair was longer..." Kohaku silently cursed Lin for talking him into cutting it; the one person he wanted to recognize him couldn't because of a stupid hairdo, "I suppose he would've gotten taller while I was gone... But he's so much stronger than I remember..."

The woman laughed, "Well, he has matured quite a bit. Now, I think I'll go to bed. Old women need their sleep, you know. Haku, there's some things in the closet over there you can make yourself a spot on the floor here. I'm afraid there aren't any other beds... They're all soaking in a wash."

_What a coincidence..._

Chihiro watched blankly as the old woman retreated from the room, heading off down the hall to settle into her own bed. Kohaku stared at the girl. _She's so...beautiful... But she's just like the girl I remember at the same time... How can I sleep in the same room with her?! Can't I make a palette somewhere else???_ Her gaze shifted to him. He smiled nervously.

"So...how is Lin? Are you two living together?" She asked, trying to get settled in this alternate reality, "The way Granny talks, you guys have been doing wonderfully..."

"Chihiro..." He said sadly, hoping she wasn't upset with him

She grinned at him, "No, no, no. I'm happy you guys are ok. I was worried about something happening to you. Yubaba isn't exactly friendly. She still runs the bath house?"

He sighed and sat next to her on the bed, "Yes she does. I left the bath house the very day that you...returned to your world... Lin followed suit about a month later... We've been living together since then..."

"So she's doing well?" She smiled, happy that her friends had done better than she in the past six years

"Very well. She's expecting her first child." He said, smiling at the thought of Lin's huge stomach, "Her first children. They're going to be twins."

Chihiro gawked at him, "She's...PREGNANT?!?!?! Oh my god... I would have never pictured it. Lin having children."

He laughed, "I never thought I'd see the day either, but believe me. She's definitely pregnant. That cow can be seen from a mile away. She can be heard from that distance as well."

Chihiro gave a half-hearted laugh and lied back in the bed, "I don't think that's a very nice way to talk about the woman who's having your baby..."

/

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K, I think I'll end it there. ^.^;; Yeah... Nice place for an ending... .;;; I am NOT on drugs! God forsaken people keep looking at me funny... . . Bai-bai for now...


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